Had great adventures in the western NY back in March 2011, a day each with DEEVA and HSF. Among all the cool stops we made, both days included visits along/near that squiggly river that separates the First Ward and the Outer Harbor.

While shooting at night I had just finished along the water and was moving towards some factory buildings when a patrol car rolled up. Cop asked a lot of questions, but once i explained what I was doing he started sharing info/history about Buffalo, his 20+ yr life on the force, and mentioned some key spots to hit. We chatted for 30 minutes on that cold night. So I showed him my work in the camera and he said, “If i didn’t have to do traffic for the game ending in 20 minutes I’d have you hop in and take you to some spots.” What a cool guy, right!

He was watchful as the area is magnet for trouble. Sports event fans too cheap to pay for HSB Arena parking lot will leave their cars here (~1/2 mile away), and they get broken into for their laptops, phones, $$, etc. Though he was wondering what this guy dressed in black was doing down there, he was more concerned for my safety and the camera gear i was $hlepping… It looks like the city is trying to revitalize the waterfront with a walkway. Restaurants and retail likely to follow.